Bad Penny: XS650 Bobber by Ardcore Choppers

Jon Ard knows his way around XS650 Yamahas and applies a lifelong knowledge of custom fabrication to his builds. This bobber, Bad Penny, employs the signature Ardcore Choppers rigid frame and low-slung vibe. It’s been awhile since we snapped these shots, but the look is timeless…

This bike is styled after the “Flying W” build, but with some added flavor including the drilled and powdercoated mags, blacked-out motor, and root beer candy-coated tins. It features the Ardcore Top Fuel exhaust, mid controls, and utilizes the stock, but dropped, front end.

Bad Penny represents the style and persona of the kind of choppers we dig. Ones you can plant your feet on like a dirtbike and grab the bars like a flat tracker. With the blappy XS motor, whose exhaust only travels a little over a foot, it makes for some fun hardtail diddy-bopping around town.

A custom paint job on the li’l Sporty tank, with the just the right placement on the frame looks great.

Both the aftermarket and the custom fabricated hard parts are available for order through Ardcore. These guys come from a hot rod and motorcycle family tree. Whether it’s dirtbikes or streetbikes, they live a two-wheeled, gas-powered lifestyle.

Ard is on the move in Indianapolis, expanding his services and preparing over 12,000 square feet of space dedicated to gearheads (apparel, parts, service). Keep an eye on Ardcore Speed and Fab on the city’s East side in the coming months; looks like they plan to up the ante for motorcyclists around town and beyond.